O2 and BT Wholesale Sign UK Fixed Line and ICT Services Partnership

Mobile operator O2 UK might have sold off their fixed line Home Broadband and Phone customers to Sky Broadband (BSkyB) last year, yet a new 5-year partnership extension deal signed with BT Wholesale today means that the business side of their service(s) will continue to be expanded via a “fully-integrated suite of ICT services” to include mobile, Ethernet and FTTC “fibre broadband for the very first time“.

The deal, which is described as a “significant extension to their existing relationship” that helped O2 to enter the fixed-line market for business customers back in 2009, is said to be worth “several hundreds of millions of pounds” and includes connectivity, infrastructure and professional services agreements.

Ben Dowd, O2’s Business Director, said:

“We have seen a huge increase in the demand for integrated ICT services since we launched our first offering three years ago. Our relationship with BT Wholesale brings together world-class mobile and fixed-line connectivity so we can offer our business customers the best possible suite of services now and for the future. This deal supports our aim to help UK businesses grow.”

Nigel Stagg, CEO of BT Wholesale, added:

“This takes our existing relationship with O2 to the next level enabling further expansion of the services O2 can offer to its business customers. Our national fibre network, Ethernet footprint and market-leading portfolio of wholesale products will support O2 in offering reliable and high quality connectivity that meets the growing expectations of both public and private sector organisations.”

The joint update states that O2’s business customers will benefit from broadband download speeds of up to 80Mbps over BT’s “fibre broadband” (FTTC) network and their “extensive national Ethernet network and product portfolio“.

It’s perhaps hoped that the new deal will put to rest any concerns about the future of O2’s business focused fixed line services, which have had a question mark overhead ever since last year’s sale of residential fixed line customers to Sky.